Bagless vacuum cleaner



0C@ 3, 1933. w. LEATHERs I BAGLESS VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Aug. 2, 1950 INVENTOR.

Oct. 3, 1933. w LEATHERS 1,929,025

EAGLES S VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Aug. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A Quadrex Corporationnecticut a corporation of Con- Applicatlon August 2, 1930, Serial No.472,703 Renewed March 1, 1933.

4 claims. (ci. iss-3s) The object of my invention is to produce vacuumcleaners without the dirt bag commonly used. In order to accomplish thispurpose'I have invented new means of filtering the exhaust air, of'

catching the dirt in a receptacle, and of locating the same in suitableand novel places.

In the following description I have set forth the possibilities involvedin my invention and have appended thereto, for purposes of clarity,

1o drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner Fig. 2 isthe same Fig. 3 is a cross-section of handle filter and dirt container tFig. 4 is a cross-section of modified handle fil- Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of a hollow yoke providing double air exhaust Fig. 6 is a sideview of vacuum cleaner with parallel filter Fig. 7 is a modified doubleair exhaust Fig. 8 is a cross-section of same Fig. 9 is an attachingdevice Fig. 10 is a handle.

In Figure 1 I have shown a conventional vacuum cleaner for light orheavy duty, depending upon size, in which 1 is the motor case, 2 is theblower case, 3 is the nozzle case. It is usual practice with rotaryblowers to take the exhaust from a spiral enlargement at the peripheryof the rotor. I have taken the exhaust from the rotor in theconventional manner, except that I have used two outlets, 4 and 5, onopposite sides of the blower case. These are taken off spirally in thedirection of rotation and turned around in such manner that the twoexhausts turn toward each other immediately back of the blower case.

Connected to these outlets 4 and 5, in a hinged manner, is a hollow airconductor 6 provided with exhaust ducts shown at 7 (see Fig. 7). At thetop of 6 there is an enlarged portion 8, to the bottom side of which islatched, or fastened, the dirtv receptacle 9 and to the top side ofwhich is attached the handle 10. 11 is a hook for holding `the electriccord. 12 is the same. 12 may be folded into the handle 13. At 14 I haveshown a tightly closed door 14, hinged at 15, released by a latch at 16,the purpose of which is to permit instantaneous cleaning of the filterin the handle by means of the blast from the blower itself.

If the filter is in the handle 10 it is obvious that the household usercan drop the handle out an open window while the motor is running,release any suitable latch 16, and the door 14 will be blown open andthe filter cleaned.

In Figure 2 I have shown a similar arrangement of air-duct, handlefilter and dirt receptacle, except that the exhaust ducts from theblower casing, extensions 4 and 5, continue their separation to the topof the dirt receptacle 9 instead of being 00 joined together as inFigure 1 (see Fig. 5).

Figure 3, the upper portion 8 of the hollow yoke bracket 6, is shownin'cross-section. Air from the blower comes up through the passage 17and is deflected vdownward by a baille 18, after which it 05 continuesits travel upward through the hollow handle 10. The baffle is for thepurpose of defiecting heavier objects and particles directly into thedirt receptacle 9 instead of permitting their entrance into the handlefilter. The dirt receptacle 9 may be made of any suitable material andin any suitable shape and attached to 8 in any desirable manner. I haveshown it in a preferable form, made of transparent material such as ce1-luloid, equipped at its top with a metal rim 19, this metal rim isprovided with a very steep thread 20 which engages a similar thread inthe casting 8, said thread being so steep that a partial turn of thereceptacle 9, such as 45 will release or engage said thread. The handle21 is rigidly attached ao to the rim-19 and thereby provides simplemeans of manually attaching and detaching the dirt receptacle 9 from themachine.

The filter handle may be provided with its filter elements on theoutside (Fig. 3) or on the inside (Fig. 4). In Figure 3, 22 is a hollowtube, preferably of thin-walled hard fibre, about 11/2 inches indiameter. 22 is provided with ports 23 in any desired size, number andarrangement, and is attached to 8 in suitable manner (shown with screwthread), and at the top to a suitable handle top as 24 in Figure 1. Thehollow tube 22 is then covered with any suitable filter material. It maybe a specially woven porous material, or a felt-like material orpreferably a Velvet shown at 25. 'Ihis material must be of a highlyporous character. It may be put on the tube 22 reasonably tight orreasonably loose as is required for permitting the air to creep beneathit and escape over its entire area rather than through only those areasin juxtaposition to the ports. The filter cover 25 is fastened at bothends in any suitable manner. I have shown it sewn to a metal ring 26 andanchored by a threaded collar 27.

In Figure 4 I have shown a similar handle filter modified by placing thefilter elements inside the perforated tube 22. The porous element 28 maybe of any suitable material, such as felt or velvet. In the latter casethe nap is naturally turned out toward the tube 22 to permit the air toescape from the inside duct, over its entire area, finding its waythrough the nap to the ports 23. Another means of permitting the use ofthe entire filter area is to sew the fabric or filter material intotubular form, slightly smaller than the inside diameter of theperforated tube 22. A still further method of using thin filtermaterial, such as silk, consists of a thin open mesh screen 29, to theinside face of which is sewn a filter lining 28 as shown by the stitchesat 30. This combination of screen and other filter material, such assilk fabric, may be used as a unit and slid inside of the tube 22 andfastened at both ends in any suitable manner, such as the ring and clampmethod shown at 31. l i

Figure 5 is a front view of a hollow yoke bracket 6 (as in Figure 2.) Itmay be entirely of one casting as shown at 6 in Figure 2 or the portions7 and 8 may, for purposes of easier manufacture, be separated by tubularor other shaped duct parts 32.

In Figure 6 I have shown a conventional vacuum cleaner with an air-ductyoke-bracket slightly rearranged. The air fromV the part 6 is carrieddirectly into the handle 10 with no com- .munication with thedirt-receptacle 9. The handle 10 consists of a plain hollow tube ofmetal or hard fibre. At the top of the handle 10 I have provided ahousing member 33 to which l0 is attached in suitable manner as well asthe handle 13. The blast of air from 10 is turned about within 33 in asuitably formed cavity 34 so that it may exhaust downward into anexposed filter 35. 35 consists of asleeve or hose of highly porousmaterial. Air and dirt enter its upper portion at 36 and the dirtexhausts from its lower portion at 37 into the dirt-receptacle 9 whichis supported by 8, a part of the hollow duct-yoke 6. This is a highlydesirable arrangement for high duty purposes because it gives themaximum of air volume and filtration, and a continuous movement of thedirt through the filter aided by both air and gravity. 38 is a stoutreinforcement sewn around the filter tube 35 and provided with asuitable clip whereby it is anchored to the handle 10.

Figure 'I is a back view of the part 6.

Figure 8 is a cross-section of the part 6 in Figure 7. v

Figure 9 illustrates one of many suitable means of attaching the filtertube 35 to the end-holders 34 and 8. The filter tube in this case issewn at 39 to a stouter piece of fabric which is again sewn fast to aspiral-spring shown by the dotted lines. At the top of the spiral-springthere is a ring developed from the spring itself by means of whichattachment is made to 34 by a clamp ring 40, stouter fabric over thespring covers it completely inside or outside and is sewn to the topring. The spring mechanism may be used or not as desired, but its objectis to provide somev slight elasticity to the filter tube 35 since inhandling the vacuum cleaner with the motor not running the tube 35 maybe collapsed against the handle 10. i

Figure 10 shows a hollow yoke 41 for the same purpose as the lowerportion of 6 in Figures 1-.2 and 6. It is attached directly to thehandle 10 which is provided with inside or outside lter as in Figures 3and 4. The handle 13 is provided with a rubber bumper 42 and the latch14 for the same purpose as in'Figure 1. For light duty vacuum cleanerssuch a filter handle is highly practical without the dirt receptacle 9of Figures 1--2 and 6 because the handle 10 will hold sufficient dirtstill permitting of proper filtration for sweeping an ordinary smallroom or two under normal conditions, and the user may, immediately uponcompleting such operation. drop the handle end of the vacuum cleaner outan open window or into a suitable receptacle, release the latch '14, andinstantly and completely free the vacuum cleaner of all dirt. 14

,may be on the end of 13,a location corresponding 1. In a suctioncleaner, a motor-blower unit, i

a perforated hollow handle, filtering material disposed substantiallythe entire length and area of said handle, a manually removable dirtreceptacle operably attached to the bottom of said handle for retrievingdirt from said handle by gravity, and an air ductleading from the outletof said motor-blower unit to a juncture with the bottom end of saidfilter handle but above said dirtv receptacle.

2. In a suction cleaner, a motor-blower unit, a perforated hollowhandle, filtering material disposed substantially the entire length andarea of said handle, a manually removable dirt receptacle operablyattached to the bottom of said handle for retrieving dirt from saidhandle by gravity, an air duct leading from the outlet of saidmotor-blower unit to a juncture with the bottom of said filter handlebut above said dirt receptacle, and with said air duct so operablyjoined to the motor-blower unit that it may be angularly moved withrespect thereto.

3. In a suction cleaner, a motor-blower unit, a perforated hollowhandle, filtering material disposed substantially the entire length andarea of said handle,a manually removable dirt receptacle operablyattached to the bottom of said handle for retrieving dirt from saidhandle by gravity, an air duct leading from the outlet of saidmotor-blower to a juncture with the bottom end of said filter handle butabove said dirt receptacle, and with a manually operated valve at thetop of said handle for the purposes set forth.

4. In a suction cleaner, a motor-blower-unit,

a hollow handle, a tube of filtering material disposed parallel to andsubstantially the entire length of said handle, means of leadingdirtladen air to the bottom of said hollow handle and delivering saiddirt-laden air to the top of said filter tube, and with the bottom ofsaid filter tube communicating with a manually removable dirtreceptacle.

WARD LEATHERS;

